| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 3,930 | 16,997 | 21,209 | |
| 2020 | R | 4,061 | 16,531 | 20,918 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,930 | 12,495 | 17,712 | |
| 2012 | R | 4,080 | 12,548 | 17,015 | |
| 2008 | R | 5,108 | 13,347 | 18,645 | |
| 2004 | R | 3,646 | 14,430 | 18,181 | |
| 2000 | R | 3,855 | 10,157 | 14,256 | |
| 1996 | R | 5,393 | 7,661 | 14,666 | |
| 1992 | R | 5,047 | 7,921 | 16,311 | |
| 1988 | R | 5,879 | 11,309 | 17,303 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,558 | 14,569 | 19,357 | |
| 1980 | R | 5,006 | 10,727 | 16,185 | |
| 1976 | R | 6,533 | 8,773 | 15,441 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,429 | 12,478 | 16,331 | |
| 1968 | R | 4,751 | 7,415 | 15,382 | |
| 1964 | D | 8,862 | 7,033 | 15,948 | |
| 1960 | D | 7,806 | 7,548 | 15,474 | |
| 1956 | D | 6,140 | 5,661 | 11,879 | |
| 1952 | D | 5,204 | 4,738 | 9,971 | |
| 1948 | D | 4,708 | 1,273 | 6,025 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,938 | 1,227 | 4,168 | |
| 1940 | D | 4,295 | 1,286 | 5,592 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,905 | 549 | 4,491 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,371 | 271 | 2,756 | |
| 1928 | R | 474 | 537 | 1,014 | |
| 1924 | D | 552 | 138 | 736 | |
| 1920 | D | 733 | 255 | 1,011 | |
| 1916 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1912 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Lea County's economy runs on petroleum extraction, and its electorate has returned Republican presidential margins above 60 points in recent cycles, making it a consistent outlier in a state that otherwise trends competitive to Democratic at the statewide level.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Lea County peaked at seventy-six points in 1932; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1968 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of seventeen points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Lea County's median household income of $68,015 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 19% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Crane County and Reagan County.